One reason that I favor historic preservation

Missing porch, wrecked facade, 1000 block of 5th Street NE. At the time of construction it is likely these houses were identical.

in DC, historic districts have an additional level of review incorporating citizens and the executive branch. This includes a focus on design. That isn't the case for areas covered by the basic Zoning regulations.

From an email I wrote yesterday:

The Zoning Regulations of DC cover building and land use regulations for the city. If a building or site is landmarked, or a historic district is created, an additional set of regulations also covers the property.

In non-historic districts, for the most part, development and changes to properties and buildings are matter of right--meaning the owner can do whatever s/he wants--so long as the building, height, mass, lot coverage, and use conform with the regulations.

Only in situations involving deviations from zoning regulations (variances, exceptions, and zoning classification changes, including PUDs) and public space usage, are citizens accorded the privilege and right of weighing in on these matters.--"trumping" matter of right.

In short, historic preservation regulations afford an additional level of review by both citizens (civic organizations, ANCs, neighborhood historic society, individuals) and the executive branch of government (HPO, Historic Preservation Review Board) that are not otherwise available under DC building and land use regulations.

Furthermore, only historic preservation regulations call for review of design. No zoning regulations do so, with two exceptions-- for PUD matters, and they don't really do all that much, but the provision for concern is in the regulations, and specifically for the H Street Commercial District overlay. Historic preservation-based design review generally makes projects better. To quote the current chair of the Zoning Commission, "Frankly, some developers have bad taste." But the Zoning Regulations offer no remedy to this fact. Historic preservation regulations do offer remedies.

In designated neighborhoods, where there is a gap in what zoning regulations allow versus what historic preservation regulations allow, the historic preservation regulations are considered the superior regulations. (Although that doesn't mean that the Zoning Administrator doesn't make mistakes. But there are provisions for rulings to be challenged.)

The additional level of review is what first made historic designation appealing to me, as I was part of a group of residents fighting the expansion of a gas station on H Street. For the most part, we had few legal remedies to weigh in, and none on design even though gas stations do require an additional level of zoning review not required for most uses. I realized that adding the additional review capabilities that are presented by historic designation gives citizens more capabilities to manage change within their neighborhoods.

Missing porch, 900 block of Jackson Street NE.